The Lilly Seminar for Alumni gives Davidson College alumni an opportunity to step away from daily demands and take time to gather with fellow graduates to explore their understanding of vocation. Davidson alumni have space to draw connections between their faith and their daily lives. This year the seminar, July 20-22, is titled, "Here I am! And who am I?" The Lilly Endowment Inc. generously funds the Lilly Seminar for Alumni.

The term vocation and the Lilly Seminar for Alumni emerge from a Christian foundation. But questions of identity are relevant to all people. At the seminar all perspectives are welcome. The title of the conference draws from two different sources. The first, "Here I am," comes from God's call of Samuel in the Hebrew Scriptures. Often when considering our vocations, we can clearly say, "Here I am!" "I am a doctor or I am a teacher or I am one who is retired." Yet we might still find ourselves asking the question, "Who am I?" To address this latter question, the seminar will draw on the work of Fredrick Buechner's book The Hungering Dark and the idea of masks we wear vs. our true selves. In preparation for the seminar, alumni will be mailed a copy of Buechner's The Hungering Dark.

This year's Lilly Summer Seminar will involve large group lectures as well as small group discussions led by local clergy, staff, and college faculty, such as Tony Abbott, the Dana Professor Emeritus of English. The seminar will incorporate not only our minds but also our senses through experiences of art and poetry. Our conference facilitator will be the Rev. Danae Ashley, an Episcopal priest and experienced discernment workshop leader.

To register, please send a completed registration form along with a check for $75 made payable to Davidson College to:
Lilly Summer Seminar for Davidson Alumni
Chaplains Office, Box 7181
Davidson, NC 28035

Registration is on a rolling basis and is limited to the first 35 participants.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact the conference coordinator, the Rev. Elizabeth Marie Melchionna '02 at 704.877.4150 or lillyseminar@davidson.edu.

Tenative Schedule